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Solve Your Gear Storage Problems with These Discounted Bins

When you live in a 500-square-foot apartment, a shortage of space forces you to get creative. The problem escalates when you’re a runner/biker/hiker/backpacker/skier — kitchen cabinets are for cookware and coffee grinders, not down jackets — to the point of potentially damaging interpersonal relationships between you and those who might be sharing the space. Even when closets are in abundance, outdoor gear storage should be carefully considered; you’re going to need some bins.

Before you seek out the cheapest six-pack of containers available on Amazon, know that, as with bikes and backpacks and nearly everything else, storage bins come in varying levels of quality. You’ll want something with a locking lid that’s sturdy enough for stacking in a closet or shoving into the back of a car. (My own closet tower currently resembles Pisa’s famous monument.) Rubbermaid’s Brute storage totes check both of these boxes — these are the bins we use in our office gear closet — and right now the 20-gallon version is discounted at both Amazon and Lowes.

It’s hard to tell by exactly how much the bins are marked down. On some websites, they cost as much as $50, and the smaller 14-gallon version is more expensive at the moment. In any case, it’s one of the best bins available for taking your outdoor gear storage up a notch, and it costs just $23 at Amazon and $22 at Lowes.